WE ARE APPROVED!!!!!
First, is anyone still reading this? Well, it doesn't matter, I'll keep writing regardless (or 'irregardless' Mr. Smith :) )
Today we received, via USPS, a letter from USCIS. The first thing I read was "NOTICE OF FAVORABLE DETERMINATION CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR ADVANCE PROCESSING OF ORPHAN PETITION". What does that mean? It means that the United States of America has determined that we are able to furnish proper care to an orphan as defined by Section 101 (b)(1)(F) of the immigration and nationality act. In other words, Uncle Sam says we can go get our kid and bring him back to the United States and raise him as our own.
In fact, USCIS has forwarded our application to the American Embassy at Kiev, Ukraine and cabled the approval notice to the Embassy.
I opened the envelope with extreme excitement. In fact I was shaking as I tried to open the letter. It is amazing, and only by the grace of God, that it was just 12 days ago that we completed the fingerprinting for the FBI background check. Steph expected the letter to take at least 3 weeks. I, on the other hand, being less optimistic about the speed at which our beauracracy laden government can perform, expected at least a 2 month waiting period for this approval. When dealing with certain government agencies, it has been my experience that it is necessary to hire an expiditer to get approvals in a timely manner. These expediters are quite expensive, they actually carry your forms and documents to specific offices and to people with whom they have deleloped relationships in Washigton D.C. to quickly obtain approvals and signatures. Why do I expound on expediters, it is because I know that we have an expediter working for us, it is evident in every step of the way that God is carrying our paperwork to the right people.
What is the next step? This approval actually completes the dossier. We now just have to obtain a few signatures on documents that we have to prepare get every document in the dossier notarized, then go to the Indiana Secretary of State for Apostille (certifying that all the notary signatures are authentic) and then we can send our dossier to Ukraine for translation and submission to the Center for Adoption in Ukraine. The waiting period after that is an unknown. We cannot even begin to speculate on how long this will be. We certainly pray that it will be a quick turn around, but it may take some time.
More later, thanks for all of your prayers and comments. We especially thank those of you who have let us know that you are committed to praying for Steph, our child and me on a daily basis.
Today we received, via USPS, a letter from USCIS. The first thing I read was "NOTICE OF FAVORABLE DETERMINATION CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR ADVANCE PROCESSING OF ORPHAN PETITION". What does that mean? It means that the United States of America has determined that we are able to furnish proper care to an orphan as defined by Section 101 (b)(1)(F) of the immigration and nationality act. In other words, Uncle Sam says we can go get our kid and bring him back to the United States and raise him as our own.
In fact, USCIS has forwarded our application to the American Embassy at Kiev, Ukraine and cabled the approval notice to the Embassy.
I opened the envelope with extreme excitement. In fact I was shaking as I tried to open the letter. It is amazing, and only by the grace of God, that it was just 12 days ago that we completed the fingerprinting for the FBI background check. Steph expected the letter to take at least 3 weeks. I, on the other hand, being less optimistic about the speed at which our beauracracy laden government can perform, expected at least a 2 month waiting period for this approval. When dealing with certain government agencies, it has been my experience that it is necessary to hire an expiditer to get approvals in a timely manner. These expediters are quite expensive, they actually carry your forms and documents to specific offices and to people with whom they have deleloped relationships in Washigton D.C. to quickly obtain approvals and signatures. Why do I expound on expediters, it is because I know that we have an expediter working for us, it is evident in every step of the way that God is carrying our paperwork to the right people.
What is the next step? This approval actually completes the dossier. We now just have to obtain a few signatures on documents that we have to prepare get every document in the dossier notarized, then go to the Indiana Secretary of State for Apostille (certifying that all the notary signatures are authentic) and then we can send our dossier to Ukraine for translation and submission to the Center for Adoption in Ukraine. The waiting period after that is an unknown. We cannot even begin to speculate on how long this will be. We certainly pray that it will be a quick turn around, but it may take some time.
More later, thanks for all of your prayers and comments. We especially thank those of you who have let us know that you are committed to praying for Steph, our child and me on a daily basis.
posted by Baldwin at 4:36 PM
3 Comments:
What great news! Of course I'm still reading your blog...and we're continuing to pray for the child God has waiting for you.
We love you both!
Karen
I have read it as well. Keep it up and we will add it to our favorites. For the right compensation we will add it as out default home page.
Steve Barnes
Congrats! May God continue to work as expeditor the rest of the way! We can't meet the little one that God has chosen for you!
Molly and Myron
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